158 MY POULTRY DAY BY DAY 
carbohydrates. One pound of fat goes as far in heat production 
or fat formation as 24 Ib. of carbohydrates. To express the fats 
in terms of carbohydrates they must be multiplied by 2}, and the 
ratio of the albuminoid matter in any food to this carbohydrate 
value is called the albuminoid ratio of that food. If a sample 
of oats contains 8 per cent. of digestible albuminoids, 4-0 of fat, 
and 47-4 of carbohydrates, the albuminoids ratio is found, by 
multiplying 4:0 by 2:5, to bring the fat to carbohydrate value, and 
by adding the result to the 47-4 of carbohydrates, thus getting a 
total of 57-4. This figure is then divided by 8 (albuminoids), and 
the quotient gives the albuminoid ratio—viz. 1 to 7-1. The 
formula is : 
(4:0 x25 447°-4)+8=71 
One can make up lots of different feeding-stuffs for poultry out 
of all sorts of grains, meals and animal food when the values are 
set out as in the table on the opposite page. 
For egg-making and flesh-forming the albuminoids are impera- 
tive. Oatmeal stands out by itself as an almost perfect food, not 
only for poultry, but for horses and men. One remembers in this 
connection Johnson’s sneer at the oatmeal-fed Scotsman. “It 
is food for horses in England and for men in Scotland,” quoth the 
doughty doctor. “Yes, sir,” was the reply. “And where will 
you get better horses than in England and better men than in 
Scotland ? ” 
Oatmeal gives the ratio of 1 to 44, and it possesses the necessary 
salts. It is, however, quite easy to form a balanced ration when 
food values are known. 
According to a high authority lucerne has high feeding value. 
This arises from its digestibility and its composition. Lucerne is 
rich in digestible protein. Protein is the substance in foods that 
goes to build up flesh and blood, to make nerve and brain. There 
is much bone-making material in lucerne also. Thus lucerne is 
a builder of tissue, of muscle, bone, nerve, brain. It is a food rich 
in nitrogen, the prime component of protein. It is because of its 
alliance with the bacteria that it is‘able to store itself so full of this 
nitrogen. We have no other forage so good, so rich in protein. 
